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Published on 12/07/1998 All articles from this issue

Hospital action boosts YMCA expansion plans

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By Carol Tiegs

Special to the Town Crier

The El Camino Hospital and Hospital District boards approved a revision of the agencies' original lease agreement with the YMCA of the Mid-Peninsula Dec. 9. The unanimous approval put the YMCA one step closer to realizing expansion goals for the Mountain View YMCA at 2400 Grant Road.

The YMCA plans to add teen, youth and wellness centers and a new gymnasium to the building it built jointly with the El Camino Hospital District in 1989. This expansion was anticipated under agreements between the district and the YMCA entered into in 1983. El Camino Hospital uses the lower level of the building, known as Park Pavilion.

Richard Warren, the district's chief executive officer, said revisions to the 1983 agreement "were necessary to accurately reflect the current relationship between the district, the hospital and the YMCA as it relates to the property in question and the building improvements.

El Camino Hospital District owns the El Camino Hospital Campus land. In 1983, it leased a portion of the campus to the YMCA and entered into a joint agreement with the recreation agency. Under that agreement, the district and the YMCA collaborated in the development of the El Camino YMCA and Park Pavillion building on Grant Road. However, it is El Camino Hospital, not the hospital district, that is the tenant in Park Pavillion.

The revisions approved Dec. 9 initiate a new master lease identifying the YMCA as the building's master tenant and the El Camino Hospital District and the El Camino Hospital Corporation as the landlord. The new master lease requires that the YMCA sublease the space occupied by the hospital back to the El Camino Hospital Corporation. The term of the master lease is extended 10 years to June 30, 2049.

The revisions give the YMCA the right to expand the building approximately 32,500 square feet. The YMCA and El Camino Hospital will jointly collaborate in developing promotions and programs to improve community health.

The new agreement also gives hospital employees a reduction in joining fees and membership rates at the YMCA.

Warren said that, unless another agreement was reached at the time, the building and improvements would revert to the hospital district when the lease expired in 2049.

YMCA representatives said they are raising funds and seeking Mountain View City Council approval for the proposed expansion.

Mark O'Connor was sworn in to another four-year term on the district board Dec. 9. O'Connor ran unopposed in the Nov. 3 election.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian is currently seeking nominees to fill the board vacancy caused by Dianna Adair's decision not to seek a third term on the board. There were no candidates for her seat in the election. Simitian said he plans to present a candidate by Jan. 26, 1999.